It says something that
Adam Sandler returned to recording comedy albums after he became a superstar, earning 20 million dollars per movie. Perhaps the records gave
Sandler the opportunity to explore his well-documented vulgar side, something that he couldn't really do in Big Daddy, the movie that appeared three months before his fourth album,
Stan and Judy's Kid. Then again,
Stan and Judy's Kid isn't all that vulgar, at least compared to his previous efforts. Sure, there's the predictable profanities, smutty jokes, and the like, but those are balanced by absurdity and deliberately annoying character sketches, like the ridiculously over-long "Whitey." These sketches alternate with songs, such as the bad hip-hop parody "Dee Wee (My Friend the Massive Idiot") and the crowd-pleasing "Chanukah Song, Pt. II." The fact that he has to write a sequel to one of his most famous routines indicates how routine
Stan and Judy's Kid feels. Parts of it are mildly amusing, parts are actively irritating, but none of it surprises or shocks or even elicits genuine belly laughs or outrage. Perhaps expanding his on-screen persona to include sentiment has dulled his off-screen comedic persona somewhat, but that's not really the case, either. The simple fact is he didn't seize this opportunity to run wild; he didn't give himself the chance to really piss off his vocal critics or please an audience hungry for moronic schtick. It's just an average comedy album -- and he hasn't made one of those before.